Horn button



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R. K. WINNING HORN BUTTON Filed June 25, 1925 I ,34 l 'Il DIM I BY d@ A TTORNEYS Patente Nov. 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT K. WINNING, OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CLUM MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

HORN BUTTON.

Application filed June 25, 1925. Serial No. 39,471.

This invention relates to improvements in switches.

lt is the object of the invention to provide a novel and improved type of switch peculiarly adapted lor use to control signal actuating circuits, such 'for example, as those used to operate an electric signal on a motor vehicle. lt is my purpose to provide a novel and simple type of switch mechanism in U which the parts lend themselves to standardization and can be economically manufactured and assembled.

@ne of the most important objects of the invention, specifically stated, is to provide a switch nieclianism having a novel and improved means for effecting a quick break in the circuit controlled by the switch, such means comprising a plurality of springs and a yieldably mounted contact member or circuit closer so arranged that it will maintain its circuit closing position for an appreciable length ot time after the switch handle is released and will thereupon be suddenly jerked toward its open position.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a switch assembly embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view taken in section on the line indicated at 2 2 in 30 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a` view similar to Figure 2, showing a slightly modified switch construction.

Lilie parts are identilied by the saine reference characters throughout the several views.

Figure 2 shows the switch mounted on a panel or dash board 5 which is apertured at 6 to receive the end of switch casing i'. A mounting plate 8 is connected with the casing shell 7 by welding or any other desired manner, and the central portion of the mounting plate is covered by a finishing plate 9 bearing suitable inscriptions adjacent the levers 10 and 11, which may control additional switch mechanisms within casting 7 having no particular bearing on the present invention.

Attached to the rear ot the casing shell 7 of the switch is a terminal head 12 in which are positioned the relatively i'iXed terminals 13 and 14. A movable Contact member or circuit closer is adapted electrically to bridge the space between terminals 13 and 14 and, by contacting both of said terminals 55 simultaneously, to close a circuit therebe tween. The circuit closer 15 comprises an annular channeled. member applied peripherally to a dielectric disk 16 through which a rivet is passed at 17 to provide a suitable bearing on the end olf shaft 20. A split washer 2l applied iii the usual manner to a. groove at the end of shaft 2O constitutes a limiting collar against which the dielectric disk 16 is forced by the action of a spring 23. This spring seats .against a. collar 24'on shaft 2O which may be provided through the use of an additional split washer at this point. The collar alsoconstitutes a stop limiting the movement of the shaft with reference to the apertured front wall 25 oi casing shell 7 through which shai't 20 passes.

'l'.he housing 30 comprises a split tube which may conveniently be manufactured by rolling a` piece of sheet metal to bring its opposing margins together. Tongues 31 pro- ]ecting axially at one end oi' the tube are passed through suitable apertures in the casing wall 25 and are there upset or outwardly bent7 as shown, to anchor housing rigidly to the casing.A Plates 8 and 9 have apertures in them of suilicient size to receive the full diameter of housing 30, and the housingis rolled or otherwise formed to provide an annular bead at 32 seating against plate 9 and held tightly against said plate by tongues 31. A similar bead 38 may be used, il desired, to enhance the appearance oi the housing, and this latter bead may also serve as al stop for the horn button or switch handle 2li which is interiorly tapped to receive the threaded extremity 35 of the shaft or rod 2l). An annular channel -lt is cnt axially into the button lll and the end ot' housingl 30 lits into said channel to guide the button for reciprocation axially of the housing.

A compression spring 37 is confined between tlie switch casing wall 25 and a washer 38 which is fitted upon shaft 2O and serves to position said shaft centrally within housing 30. In order to tix the position of washer 38 prior to the time When the button 34 is threaded to shaft 20, a nut 39 may be threaded upon the shaft to receive from washer 38 the compression of spring 37.

The arrangement is such that when the horn button is depressed or pushed toward the right, as viewed in Figure 2, shaft 20 will be moved toward its advanced position llt) unit.

against the compression of spring 37. The dielectric disk 16 carrying the circuit closing conductor will likewise move toward a position for contact with terminals 13 and 14, and until such contact is eected the original .degree of compression of spring 23 will not be altered.V Ultimately, however, the circuit closer will complete an electrical connection between terminals 13 and 14, and during the continued movement of shaft 2O under manual pressure exerted on button 34 spring 23 will be compressed. The presence of spring 23 ensures a positive contact with terminals 13 and 14, and the unit constituting conductor 15, dielectric disk 16 and eyelet 17 is sufficiently loosely fitted to shaft 2() to be able to accommodate itself to any slight inequalities which may exist .in the positioning of terminals 13 and 14.

When the pressure on horn button 34 is released, springs 23 and 37 will commence to expand and will thereby cause shaft 20 and button 34 to move toward their retracted positions. In causing such movement spring 37 is seated against casing wall and spring 23 seats against the circuit closing unit which in turnabuts terminals 13 and 14.

The above described condition will obtain until collar 21 strikes the circuit closing At this time the handle 34 and shaft 2O will'have a considerable outward or refractive momentum, and consequently, when the stop 21 strikes the Contact closing unit,

t it will do so with a quick sharp jerk, whereby the metallic contact 15 1s withdrawn from terminals 13 and 14 substantially simultaneously and with little or no tendency for the current to arc. Until the stop member 21 so abuts the circuit closing unit, the spring 23 is expanding and is holding the circuit closing unit to the terminals. After such abutment` occurs, however, spring 23 is permitted no further expansion and the circuit closing unit moves\freely from the terminals toward the retracted position in which it is illustrated in Figure 2. Its inertia is overcome by the momentum previously acquired by the moving shaft-20 and button 34.

During such advancing and retractive i movement shaft 20 is guided in part by its passage through the aperture in casing wall 25 and in part through the sliding disk or washer 38 on the inner surface of the tubular housing 30. The fact that the end of the housing extends into channel 36 primarl ily tends to give the device a finished ap pearance but may serve also to provide additional guidance for the movement of the button and of shaft 20, if necessary.

The Figure 3 construction is similar in mode of operation to that already described but differs specifically therefrom.

In the device shown in Figures 1 and 2,

. facture.

the switch is assembled in casing 7 with other switch devices. The Figure 3 construction is eculiarly adapted for inde endent use, an therefore the mounting p ate 8 and the finishing or legend plate 9 are dis` pensed with. The dash is provided with a suilicient aperture to receive the innerV end 40 of the tubular housing or barrel 30 until Figure 2 construction. Terminals 13 and 14' are mounted in the dielectric terminal head 12 in the manner above described.

In the Figure 3 construction the front wall of casing 42 does not provide a bearing for shaft 20, and accordingly the transverse web 45 with an annular ange 46 is expandedto `tit within the annular channel formed during the operation which presses outwardlythe rib 32. A central annular Harige 47 in the disk-like transverse web 45 forms a bearing for shaft 20, and the disk` itself provides a seat for the sto member or lock washer 24 which is en age as above described in a groove of sha t 20.

At its outer end shaft 20 is guided in the annular journal flange .48 of a cup-shaped member or bulkhead 49 having a radially extending peripheral flange 50 seating on the end of tubular housing 30. A mounting shell 52 is apertured to receive the reduced extremity 53 of shaft 20, which is thereupon upset or lifted at 54 to secure the mounting shell in place thereon.

The finishing button 55 is now upset by compression or spinning about the corresponding marginal portions of mounting shell 52 to engage the mounting shell' rigidly and permanently. The button 55 has its margins so extended about the end of tubular housing 30 as to give the device a finished appearance.

It is particularly to be noted that the spring 37 is materially shorter than the corresponding spring 37 used in the Figure 2 construction. Nevertheless, the inner end of s ring 37 seats against a washer 56 whic is thereby held in the bottom of the cup member 49 to anchor the inner end of the spring with reference to housing 30. The outer end of the short spring 37 seats against the mounting shell 52 for the button 55 and thereby tends to exert an outward pressure through said mounting shell upon shaft 20. This construction has the advantage that it permits of standardized manu- It will bev obvious that this same spring and spring mounting may be used to retract rod or shaft .20 irrespective of the length of such shaft, and irrespective of corresponding variations in length of the housing 30. In other words, whether the housing and shaft 20 are made long or short` the same cup sti), washer 5G, spring 37', mount-ing cap 52 and button 55 may be used therewith. Likewise, the remaining parts of the switch may be standardized for use with any housing and shaft irrespective of the distance to which such housing and shaft project.

ln operation the Figure 3 device is the same as that previouslyv described. Shaft 20, guided in annular flanges or sleeves 48 and 4T. moves rearwardly toward its advanced position, thereby compressing spring 3T. In the ultimate rearward movement of the shaft, spring 23 is also compressed due to the contact of the circuit closing unit with terminals lsl and 14 and the relative movement of the shaft through said unit to the end of its rearward stroke. YVhen the button is released shaft 20 springs outwardly and ultimately picks up the circuit closing unit- -with a considerable degree of impact, whereby the circuit is sharply broken and there is no tendency for the current to arc.

l. claim:

l. ln a switch mechanism, an apertured switch casing, a terminal opposite the aperture in said casing, a tubular casing inserted in the aperture of the switch casing and permanently joined therewith, a. stationarycentrally apertured web across said tube adjacent the switch casing, a reciprocable web in said tube opposite said stationary web, a handle. secured to said reciprocable web, a. switch operating shaft secured to said handle and reciprocable through the aperture in said stationary web, a circuit closer loosel): mounted on the inner end of said shaft, and compression springs between said webs and between the stationary web and said circuit closer.

ln a switch mechanism, an apertured switch casing, a terminal opposite the aperture in said casing, a tubular casing inserted in the aperture of the switch casing and permanently joined therewith, a stationary central apertured web across said tube adjacent the switch casing`v a reciprocable web in said tube. opposite said stationary web, a handle secured to said reciprocable web, a switch operating shaft secured to said handle and reciprocable through the aperture in said stationary web, a stop on the inner end of said shaft, a circuit closer loosely mounted on the inner end of said shaft and retained by said stop, and compression springs between said webs and between the stationary web and said circuit closer.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with an actuating sha-ft, of

a handle secured at the end thereof, a bulkhead relatively reeiprocable upon said shaft adjacent the handle, a tubular housing concentric with ihe shaft and provided with shoulders against which the bulkhead is adapted to bear, a bead on the tube spaced from the bulkhead, an apertured web secured in said bead adjacent said tube,- and a circuit closing member resiliently mounted on the end of said shaft remote from the handle.

4. ln a device of the character described, a switch casing provided with terminals, a tubular extension for said switch casing, spaced annular beads formed in the body of said extension, an aperture'in the wall of the switch casing and concentric with the tubular extension, a Shaft concentric with the extension and reciprocable through said aperture. a web secured to said shaft and reciprocable in said extension, a handle secured to the outer end of the sha-ft, and a circuit closer secured to said shaft adjacent the terminals.

5. ln a device of the character described, the combination with a switch casing, a terminal head in the rear ofl said casing providinga terminal, and a shaft axially adjustable. through a wall of said casing in the direction of said terminal, of a stop on said shaft adapted to abut the inner face of said casing wall and to limit the outward movement of the shaft therethrough, a second stop carried by said -shaft axially spaced within said casing along said shaft from said first mentioned stop, a contact member slidable along said shaft to and from engagement with said second stop, a compression spring confined between said contact member and said first stop, and a spring acting on said shaft to press said shaft outwardly through said wall to the extent permitted by said first stop, said contact member being adapted to abut said terminal upon the axial movement of said shaft in opposition to said last mentioned spring and, during the continued movement of said shaft, to compress said compression spring.

6. 1n a device of the character described, the combination with a switch casing adapted to be mounted on a support, of a tubular housing member connected with said casing and provided with an annular bead axially spaced therefrom and adapted to engage said support, switch mechanism within said casing, and an actuating handle connected with said mechanism through Said housing member.

7. lin a device of the character described, the combinationwith a casing adapted to be attached to an apertured support, of a tubular housing adapted to fit Within the aperture of such a support, said housing being connected With said casing and provided with an annular bead spaced from .said casing and adapted exteriorly to ensuch a support, a transverse web in said' housing anchored internally of said bead, switch mechanism within said casing, and a switch shaft extending through said housing and'having a bearing in said web.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing adapted to be attached to an apertured support, of a tubular housing adapted to iit within the aperture of such a support, said housmg being connected with said casing 'and provided with an annular bead spaced from said casing and adapted exteriorly to engage such a support, a transverse web 1n said housing anchored internally of said bead, switch mechanism within said casing, an axially adjustable switch shaft exten ing through said housing and connected to actuate said mechanism, said web being provided with an aperture through which said shaft extends, a stop collar on said shaft adapted to abut said web,` and a spring within said housing pressing said shaft outl wardly and tending to maintain said stop coilar in abutment with said web.

10. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a casing adapted to be attached to an apertured support,'of a tubular housin adapted to fit within the aperture of suci a support, said housing being connected with said casing and provided with an annular bead spaced from saidcasing and adapted exteriorl to engage such a sup ort, a transverse We in said housing anc ored internally of said bead, switch mechanism within `said casing, an axiall adjustable switch shaft extending throng said housing and connected-to actuate said mechanism, said web being provided with an aperture through which said shaft extends, a stop collar on said shaft adapted to abut said web,v and a spring within said housing pressing said. shaft outwardly and tending to maintain said stop collar in abutment with said web, said switch mechanism includin a moving contact member slidably monnte on said shaft and a spring confined between said stop collar and said member, together'with a terminal carried by said casing and adapted to be engaged by said member to' compress said last mentioned spring during the continued movement o1 65 said shaft.

ROBERT WINNING. 

